Band-cutter and feeder



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W.. A. BRADY.

BAND CUTTER AND FEEDER.

Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

wi'tmcooao (No Mode l.) I 2-Sh'ets'Sheet2.

W. A. BRADY.

- I BAND CUTTER AND FEEDER. 1 N0. 352,112. Patented 9, 1886.

N. PETER Pholo-Lilhognphor. WillhingtnE. D. C.

' UNITED ST TES PAT NT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ANDREW BRADY, or SPENCER, IOWA.

- BAND-CUTTER- AND FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,112, dated November 9, 1886.- Application filed March 27, 1886. Serial No. 196,832. (No model.)

To all whom it 'may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ANDREW BRADY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spencer, in the county of Glayand State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Band=0utters and Feeders, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. My invention relates to an improvement in baud-cutters and feeders for thrashing-machines; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a band'cutter and feeder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 isa top plan view. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken on the line as wof Fig. 2 and. looking toward the feed end of the machine.

A represents a case, which is adapted to be secured to one end of a thrashing-machine. In the feed end of the said box or case, near the lower side thereof, is journaled a transverse shaft, B, which is provided at its center with a crank, G, and rigidly secured to the said shaft,

at one end, is a pairof driving-pulleys, D and E, and loosely secured on the said shaft is a 0 pulley, F, which bears against the outer side of the fixed pulley D. a

G represents an inclined feed-board, which forms the bottom of the box or case A, and is located therein and secured thereto by means of bails H, which have their outer ends pivoted to the sides of the box or case and their connecting portions pivoted to the under side of the feed-board G. These bails H form rocking links, which connect the feed-board with the box or case, so that both endsof the feedboard may be simultaneously oscillated'up and down in the case. "The lower end of the feedboard G, when my attachment is secured to a thrashing-machine, delivers to the thrashing 5 mechanism, and the said' feed-board is provided on its upper side with a series of inclined projecting teeth, 9, which incline toward the lower end of the feed-board.

K represents a hopper, which is adapted to receive the bundles of grain, and is secured in the feed end of the case A on vthe upper side of the feed-board, and is secured to the caseA by means of a bail, L, forming rocking links, connecting the said hopper with the case, similarly to the bails connecting the feed-board with the said case. The bottom K of the hopper is rigidly attached to the upper side of the feed-board by means of pins 9, which prevent the bottom of the hopper from coming in contact with the feed-board, although the said bottom of the hopper moves with the feed board. The sides K of the hopper merely rest upon the bottom K, but are not secured thereto, and thus the hopper is provided with an independently-movable bottom. The bail L prevents the sides of the hopper from moving lengthwise with the feed-board and the bottom K, but allows the sides to move vertically therewith. From the inner opposing sides of the hopper project the teeth k, and from the bottom board, K, of the hopper project the downwardly --extending upwardly inclined teeth It.

L represents a transverse shaft, which is journaled in the upper sides of the box or case A,immediate1y in rear of the discharge end of the hopper K and communicating therewith. To the center of this shaft is secured a cuttingwheel, L, the edge of which may be either serrated or sharpened, as will be found most effective. To one end of the shaft L is secured a pulley, L which is connected by an endless belt, M, with the pulley E on the shaft B. To the crank of the said shaft'B is attached one end of a pitman, N, the opposite end of which is attached to the under side of the feed-board.

0 represents a transverse bar, which is secured on the upper side of the case A in rear of the shaft L and parallel, therewith. Under one end of the bar 0 is pivoted a horizontal bell-crank lever, 1?, having a long and a short arm. The long arm of this lever is connected to the bottom of the hopper K and to the feed-board G by means of a rod, R. Y

S represents a pair of rocking stirring-arms, havingtheir lower ends bifurcated, and thus provided. with stirring-fingers S. The upper ends of the arms S are pivoted to one side of the bar 0, and the said arms extend downwardly to within a suitable distance of the upper side of the feed-board, and are connected together by a rod, S, and one of the said ICO arms is connected to the short arm of the bell-crank lover I? by means of a rod, S An endless belt, T, passes from a suitable driving-pulley on the thrashing-machine (which is not here shown as it forms no part of the present invention) to the pulley D. This endless belt passes through a loop, V, which extends from one side of a belt-shifting 1ever, V, which is pivoted to one side of the box or case A. By moving this lever the belt may be shifted from the pulley D onto the idle-pulley F when it is desired to throw the band-cutting and feeding mechanism out of gear with the thrashing-machine.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Vhen the shaft B is actuated, the feed-board G is caused to simultaneously reciprocate and move upwardly and downwardly by reason of the rocking links H, and, by being connected to the crank O and the bottom of the hopper K, )artakcs of the motions of the feed-board G, while the sides of the hopper are only free to move vertically. The movement of the feed-board and the hopper causes the bell-crank lever l to work on its pivot, and therebymove or rock the arms S transversely across the upper side of the iced-board. The shaft L is rotated by being geared to the pulley E, causing the cutting-wheel L to rapidly rotate in the discharge end of thehopper. The bundle of grain is thrown into said hopper, where it becomes engaged by the teeth k of the bottom thereof, and on each downward longitudinal movement of the said bottom the bundle is urged toward the wheel L. On each upward or reverse longitudinal movement of the bottom K its teeth become disengaged from the bundle, and the latter is caught by the teeth It in the sides of the hopper, and thus prevented fronrmoving away from the cutter If. From this it will be understood that the action of the hopper and its independently-movable bottom is to constantly move the bundle upon the wheel L, the edge of which cuts the band, and the loosened straws are fed onto the feed-board and are moved downwardly thereon. As they intersect the paths of the rocking arms S, the fingers of the latter distribute the straws evenly over the face of the feedboard, and they are thereby delivered to the thrashing-cylinder evenly and equally at all points, thus enabling the thrashing-machine to operate with maximum efficicncy.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination, in a band-cutter and feeder for thrashing-machincs, of the verti cally-movable hopper having the independently longitudinally movable bottom, and the rotating cutter located at the discharge end of the hopper, whereby a sheaf thrown into the hopper will have its band presented to the rotating cutter and severed thereby, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the case A, the movable feed-board G, the rocking links connecting the said feed-board to the case, the crankshaft connected to the feed-board, whereby the latter is caused to move sinmltancously back and forth and up and down, and the vertically-movable hopper having the independently-movable bottom K, rigidly attached to the feed-board, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the case A, the movable feed-board G, thehopper, thebail or rocking links L, connecting the hopper to the case. and the independently-movable bottom K of the hopper attached to and moving with the feed-board, substantially as described.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lVlLLIAliI ANDRE\V BRADY.

"Witnesses:

DENISON II. J OIINSON, FRANK M. Brsnnn. 

